Mousetrap



P. BONDARUK.

MousUnAn. APPLICATION F-ILED. SEP. 10| 192i- 1,409,358. A Patented Mar.14,1922.

I0 j f5 fi a gf/ i@ v5 453434' a l fg i //l Ja, .4 J0 ii fz'oa/edaru/iUNITED STATES,

Yllffeffsli'I' @met P i'rILir 4noiv'nanny er MILFoitD, MASSACHUSETTS.

I MoUsETRA'P.

, To all wl'zonm'tmag/- concern:

VBe itflrncwn that l, li-irmnloivnxnnn, citizen of Ukraina, residing atMilford, in the county of VlVorceste-rV and State -of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and-useful Improvements in h'lousetrapsof-Vwhich the following is a specification. j

This 'invention 'relates to animall traps,

being intended :more particularly for use in catclnngsmall animals such-as mice `or rats.

, prises a 4cage element/"which is in the formVV of a. solid walledstructure 10 whi.ch maybevopened atgthe l bottom and which is provided.at'one end with' an' inclined runway 11 leadi The invention has foryan'object to con-` struct a trap having a pivoted trap-door providedwi-th *means adapted to accelerateits opening movement, and which 'isauto. v matically returned to' closed-position.

For further comprehensionof the inven- Fig. 1 of the drawingsis alongitudinal vertical sectional vview of an animal trap constructedaccording to theinfvention, thisY View being taken along the hne 1`-1of' Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a plan view, with parts of the casing broken aw'ay. 1

As here vshown my improved trap. coining to thetep thereof. y j y Thetop offthis cage A10 `is constituted `in I the main by a, trap door 12which extends from the top of the runway l11=to a. pointI a shortdistance frointhe Aopposite' end of the trap, leaving a short fixed topelement-'10 on which is bait hook or spike 13. The door 12 ispivoted'substantially midway between its ends as at 111 t'o and between a pairofv side posts 15 which reinforce the cage 10 and extend above thelatter. When in closed position the front end of the door-12 rests on alip 16 formed at the top of the runway 11. An enclosure may extendaround the sides and rear end of the top of the cage, this enclosurebeing here formed by a solidV end piece 17 and wire mesh side piecessuch as 18. lA top piece 19 of wire mesh may also be placed over thebait hook 13.

The door 12 is yieldingly held in its closed position b-y means of apair of ball weights Specification of Letters Patent. v fpcttntedi313,1.. 14, `Application 1edjSe`ptember-1051921. 'S'eral'llNT.499,801.v

Vthe tubes 21, are studssuch as 26. i The -tubes2l are Vlocated just fto thev inside 2O whichare leoselyheld in tubes 21 -xedtov the undersideof the doorand extending .longitudinally thereof, the forward ends ofthese-tubes being located a short ydistance in front of the-pivot-M ofthe vdoor 12, the

proximately flush. The" lower sid'esjof the tubes 21Y-are:given a`slightinclination up-Y ward from their frontto rear-ends so as toprevent the balls' .rollingv toward theV rear rear end of tubes 2ll anddoor 12 being apen ds of thel tubes whilethe doorgis closed.y r

Fixed to the rear end of the .door 12\are flat springs 23 which extenddownwardly acrossthe rear. ends of the tubes 21 and'intoV'engagen'aent'*lat their'ends with star wheels 24, journaled yinbrackets such ats-25 fixed j tot-he tubes, the star wheels2bbein'g'located 4in aposit'ionto have thesprings. -23 extend radiallythereof.

Fixed to the .springs A23 and projecting longitudinally inward into Y oftheposts v15 andl the latter have-lateral projections 15. at .theirlower ends on .'ad-

jacent sides, from which fixed fingers27' yproject upwardlyandfrear'wardly :in p'osl" tion-to engagetheteeth of the Starwheels y.

241 when the ldoor opens. f

. Suitably pivotedas at 30;toithe posts 15 185 i i above thetop ofthecage110are.detentpawls lrwhicli are adapted *to Vproject'into the Y-slotsv 32, extendingthrough the. :door 12 4'and into the tubes 21,'whenthe door 'opensfull these'pawls being 'pressed inthe Adirection offthe.door by springs suchgas 33,V move- 'ment of the .pawls 'underthe-,influence ofV the springs being limited by the stop pins 34. .Thepawls 31 are so constructed :as to lift, against the actionV of springs33,sto; allow the weights to passk to the'lear ends of t'hetubes, butprevent return forward movenient of such weights.; l, l

- Inthe Vf )perationeof the :trap theaanimal walks up the runway 11 andonto the door 12 to reach the bait, indicated at 36. As the animalapproaches the rear end of the door it overbalances the weights 20,causing the door to open and discharging the animal into the vcage whichmay containa receptacle 37 adapted to be filled with water into whichVthe animal falls. v

As soon as the door 12 is opened slightly the weights 20 start to rolltowardthe rear end thereof, accelerating the opening movement of thedoor when they pass the hinge point 14 of the latter. As the door swingsparent. This turning movement causes the v.

springs 23 to be moved outward, or compressed, as indicated in dottedlines in Fig.

' l, until the springs ride off the teeth of the starwheels 24, when thesprings snap back, throwing the weights 2O up to the forward ends ofthetubes 21, the pawls 3l riding over the weights 20- and then fallingbehind them. The weights 20 then cause the door to return to' closedposition, the

pawls 31 holding the weights against rearward movement until the door isnearly closed, the door finishing its closing movement before 'theweights can move'rearward to any appreciable degree. Y

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Pat-ent of the United States is as follows:

1. A trap comprising a cage, a trap door in the'top thereof pivotedsubstantially mid-Y way between its ends, and a weight mounted on saidtrap door and normally resting on one side of thefaxis thereof andadapted to move across said axis upon a'slight opening movement of thedoor, a tube carried by the door in which said weight is freely convtained, a stud projecting into the rear end of said tube, a flat springon which said stud is mounted, said spring normally urging said studinto said tube, and a device adapt-` ed for actuation by the momentum ofthe door as the latter opens to rst retract and then release the saidspring.

2. A trap comprising a cage, a trap door in the top thereof pivotedsubstantially mid- Way between its ends, anda Weight mounted on the saidtrap door and normally resting on one side of the axis thereof andadapted to move across said axis upon a slight opening movement of thedoor, a tube carried by the door in which said weight is freelycontained, a stud projecting into the rear end of said tube, a fiatspring on which said stud is mounted, said spring normally urging saidstud into said tube, and a device adapted for actuation by the momentumof' the door as the latter opens to first retract and then release thesaid spring, said means comprising a starwheel engaged by said spring,and a fixed finger adapted to be engaged by said starwheel.

3. A trap comprising a cage, a trap door in the top thereof pivotedsubstantially midway between its ends, and a weight mounted on one sideof the axis thereof and adapted to'move across said axis upon a slightopening movement of the door, a tube carried by the door in which saidlWeight is freely contained, a stud projecting into the' rear end of saidtube,` a flat spring on which said stud is mounted, said spring normallyvurging said stud into said tube, and a device adapted for actuation bythe momentum ofV the'door as theV latter opens "to first retract andthen release the said spring, said means comprising a starwheel engagedby said spring, and a fixed Afinger adapted to be engaged bysaid'starwheel, and a detent latch adapted to project into the said tubewhen the door is in open position to prevent movement of the 4weighttoward the rear end off the tube. i Y

4c. A trap comprising a cage, a trap door in the top thereofpivoted'substantially mid- Way between its ends, and a weight mountedonsaid trap door and normally resting on one side-of the axis thereofand adapted to move across said axis upon a slight opening movement ofthe door, a Atube carried by the door in which` said weight is freelycontained, a stud projecting intopthe rear end ofthe said tube, a fiatspring on which said stud is mounted, said spring normally urging saidstud into said tube, and adevice adapted for actuation by the momen tumof the door asthe latter opens to first retract and then release'thesaid spring, said PHILIP BONDARUK.

